Running Head: NURSING PHILOSOPHY PAPER

Nursing Philosophy Paper

Alexis Woerner

Deltech Community College

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Introduction

As a Registered Nurse developing a personal philosophy is crucial for guiding my

practice and ensuring that I provide the best possible care to my patients. Philosophy is “the

rational, abstract, and methodical consideration of reality as a whole or of basic dimensions of

human existence and experience” (Britannica, 2024) I believe that having the grounds for a

nursing philosophy will help guide my personal philosophy into my career with the principles of

patient centered care, evidence-based practice, personal wellness, leadership conflict

management and QSEN competencies. These core values are essential to manage a work life

balance, resolution within the workplace, and help battle moral dilemmas.

Nursing philosophy

Nursing philosophy in nursing series are linked. theories help define our scope of nursing, within

our roles and nursing processing. Our theories direct ethics beliefs and values, they provide

influence daily for patient care. We often overlook how important it is for us to develop these

skills. nursing is one of the most respected careers because it is so deeply rooted in ethical

principles such as beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice. we believe our patients

have the right to deny care, have access to the best possible care regardless of culture income or

any other reasons that patient may be denied. We are often seen as advocates for our patients

ensuring that their rights are respected their voices heard and their best interests are always at the

forefront of each care decision. We believe building a caring and therapeutic relationship with

patient the fundamental aspect daily care.

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Lifelong Learning

The importance of lifelong learning in nursing goes a long way. continuous learning

allows nurses to enhance their clinical skills critical thinking abilities and decision-making

processes. it allows us to make safe and effective decisions while providing care to patients. by

engaging in lifelong learning nurses can improve patient outcomes by implementing the best

evidence-based practice at the time and staying informed on new technology. lifelong learning

opens opportunities for career advancement leadership roles and higher levels of responsibility.

Attending workshops conferences online courses help us stay current. self-directed learning such

as reading journals and seeking mentorship is important for nurses so we can oversee our

education and what we want to stay current in our own line of work. I am currently taking

courses for my bachelors and plan to stay up to date with receiving the most education I can. I

believe this is important so that my patients receive the best care. It is crucial for me to become

the best version of myself as I believe every nurse should feel. We are our patient’s main line of

support. We see the patient more than a provider and it is our job to notify if there is an emergent

situation it is often the nurse that sees it first. We handle so much technology and point of care

devices for our patients. In the medical field there are so many changes. We have seen such vast

results from changing one small step. Ten years ago,

nurses were told to put catheters in non-mobile patients, but we see now that it was causing more

infections and avoid it as much as possible. There are meetings within each department to

focalize the risks and areas that need work. Joining these committees is an easy way to stay
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connected to your team while being a resource of knowledge in these topics. For instance, we

have a quality and safety team that meets once a month to discuss how important hygiene is and

where we are lacking. If there aren’t enough hand washing stations it could be brought up at this

meeting and have a better chance at being rectified.

Personal Wellness

Personal wellness has been a topic of conversation in the past few years especially since

COVID. Nurses were speaking up and finally talking about the burnout. It is a demanding and

sometimes grueling job both physically and mentally. We work long twelve hour shifts on

holidays and weekends. With a negative mindset and the wrong tools, we see nurses aren’t able

to fulfill their jobs and end up leaving the career. Unfortunately, nationwide we have seen the

impact, hospitals are short staffed, there are long wait times and overall dissatisfaction within the

workplace. There are tools to help combat this, we as nurses need to make time for ourselves

outside of work. There is a lot that goes into this. We must treat our bodies with good nutrition

and exercise. I value getting adequate exercise to make sure I am physically up for the job. My

job is demanding of my body and when I don’t make time to exercise, I often feel it. I try to

make a habit of working out two hours a week and would love to go more. Exercise is good

physically and mentally for your body. It is my time to clear my head as well. If we don’t put in

time for ourselves we often become trapped in our own thoughts and its hard to come out of that.

Working twelve hour shifts makes it difficult to fuel your body with the right nutrition. I believe

that preparing ahead of time can help prevent some of the impulsive eating. Working nights
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means if I do not pack my only option is to go to a vending machine full of processed foods.

Eating sugary foods and drinks often triggers bad feelings of guilt and depression. Nurses often

do not sleep as much as we need to. It is important to dedicate an adequate amount of sleep

during the week. I make sure when I get home, I have a quiet environment and black out

curtains. Having little to no sleep puts me in a bad mood that I try to avoid.

Conflict Management

Conflict management and nursing is an important aspect of health care as it directly

impacts patient care staff morale and effectiveness. we often see various types of conflicts in our

daily shift including interpersonal conflicts with colleagues, disagreements over patient care

decisions for conflicts arising from changes. effective conflict management strategies are

essential to maintain a positive work environment and ensure high quality patient outcomes.

interpersonal conflict occurs between individuals and is often rooted in differences in

personalities and communication. interpersonal conflicts can lead to tension and compromised

patient care. The first step is recognizing your own personality style and as it presents in social

settings. I scored as the protagonist, which means I scored high on the socialist and diplomat. I

can attest to always having a leadership style all the while being an empathic and wanting to

mediate and hear everyone’s side of the story. I grew up with a lot of siblings and quickly

became the mediator. While in most situations this is a good trait to have but there are some

personalities that find a problem. I am able to relate with most on their level, in some cases

where there is an issue, I don’t see one after hearing both sides. This can be frustrating for some.
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If a nurse works a busier shift than I do, and her station is always messy my intuition just tells

me to clean it up. If a person with a more type a personality saw the issue and was getting

frustrated it would be harder for me to relate. I would rather fix the issue of mess than have the

unnecessary confrontation. I aim to please and spend most of my worktime working as hard as I

can, instead of addressing the issue and making my work load lighter. I am working on that

aspect and trying to find better words to conduct those situations so that I am well versed into

making these problems lighter. I do not tolerate bullying however, if a coworker is gossiping

about another person, I feel strongly about addressing the situation. I feel the workplace is not a

time to talk bad about other people and will involve management if not resolved. Conflict

management is all about how your resolve issues. Unfortunately, issues do arise, it is our job to

make sure they don’t effect patient care. The key is to stay professional and know when to

involve management when the problem is above your head.

QSEN Competencies

The quality and safety education for nurses competencies were developed to prepare

nurses with knowledge skills an attitudes necessary to improve the quality and safety of health

care systems. Patient centered care focuses on recognizing the patient as a source of control and

providing compassionate and coordinated care based on their preferences. I believe patient

centered care is important because I want to provide personalized care to every patient I see in

the hospital instead of just treating the illness or injury they have. Teamwork and collaboration

puts value on the importance of teamwork this involves working collaboratively with other
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health professionals to promote and improve patient outcomes. I work with so many different

faces of the hospital, and I believe that each one is important. directly with the patients I work

with patient care techs and providers. with providers we don't always agree on the patient care

plan. sometimes I see the patient hours before a provider does, it is my job to notify the provider

and any changes in the patient. over these hours if I see a significant change, I will tell a provider

and the information isn't always processed the way I would like it to go. it is important we stay

professional and diligent on making sure that patient receives the care they need. indirectly I

work with environmentalist, who oversee cleaning the rooms. Sometimes I need a room cleaned

ahead of another room, again it is my job to make sure that information is processed, as

professionally as I can so that the next patient receives the best care they can. I also work with

constables which oversee the security of the hospital. sometimes it is important for me to make

sure I relay information on if a patient has a traumatic event and can't be touched in a certain

way. Evidence based practice nurses are expected to integrate the best current evidence with

clinical expertise and patient family preferences. I believe evidence-based practice is what keeps

the hospital moving forward. there are new findings every day that change how we practice. for

instance it was common practice to grab blood samples from my patient while inserting an

intravenous catheter. while studies have showed because of the plastic portion of the catheter the

samples weren't as clear versus phlebotomy stick also known as a straight stick. in our workplace

it is hard to come out of a routine. it is important going forward that we stick to the newest

evidence and the most clear results. Quality improvement involves using data to monitor

outcomes of care processes, this one also relates to my last example. safety nurses must
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minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual

performance. I believe safety can transfer to hygiene techniques. it is in the best safety of our

patients to make sure we're performing hand hygiene when necessary. If a patient has C diff it is

important to make sure you clean your hands with soap and water not just hand sanitizer before

entering another patient's room. informatics this focuses on using information to communicate

manage knowledge and support decision making. One example of informatics is the electronic

health records if a patient comes in unresponsive, we are able to pull up their information in the

system and see their past medical history allowing us to make the best clinical decisions as far as

their allergies if they have CHF we know we can't overload them with fluids.

Leadership

Nursing leadership has a significant impact on patient outcomes staff satisfaction and

performance. they advocate for patients’ policies and supporting nursing practice. to develop

nursing leadership skills nurses can pursue education or training or participate in conferences and

mentorships. there are different types of nursing leadership. there is transformational which

inspires and motivates employees to exceed their own performance goals for the greater good of

the organization they encourage collaboration and teamwork. transactional focuses on

supervision organization and performance they set clear goals and expectations and provide

rewards and achievements. servant leadership prioritizes the needs of others above their own

focusing on empathy compassion and service. authentic leadership is based on honesty integrity

and transparency, they are often self-aware reliable and committed to ethical practices. Patient
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leadership suggest there are no single best approach to leading in that the most successful leaders

can adapt their style to the demands of the different situations. democratic leadership is a style

that involves sharing decision making with the group and can be an effective approach to

promoting a positive work environment. Laissez-Faire leadership is a leadership style where

leaders are hands off and allow group members to make decisions, this can have good and bad

outcomes nurses are allowed to be creative with their team and come up with new ideas but can

also be seen as bad because people feel like there's a lack of guidance. As a leader I feel like I am

the transformational where I would encourage others to be at their best. I believe encouraging

others is the strongest leadership skill to have. As a leader you can not personally handle all the

work, it is important to make your employees feel important and keep them up to date on

education and allow them to feel motivated for themselves.

Conclusion

A nursing philosophy is a great thing to have to reflect on your clinical judgement. When

put in difficult situations at work you can ask yourself does this follow my own self goals and

principles. The nursing code is a great guideline to set yourself up for success. I plan to always

veer back to what does my patient need from me, and follow those thoughts. We are putting

ourselves at the frontline for our patients and it is important we don’t forget that. We get up each

morning or night and work for our patients so that the world is a less sick place and people have

somewhere they can go when they are at their worst.

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References

Sherwood, G., & Zomorodi, M. (2014). A new mindset for quality and safety: The QSEN

competencies redefine nurses’ roles in practice. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 41(1), 15-

22, 72. http://www.prolibraries.com/anna/?select=session&

sessionID=2965

JE;, M. M. (n.d.). Quality Improvement: The nurse’s role. American Nurses Association

Publications. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1621942/

Reynolds, A. (2009, November). Patient-centered care. Radiologic technology.

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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19901351/#:~:text=Patient%2Dcentered%20care
%20foceses%20on,active%20participants%20in%20their%20care.